What motivated you to commit to your “accidental business,” which you started in your kitchen more than 40 years ago?

I had the support of [my] family and friends. You have to, to go against the grain and times. I was an oddity in my community — most women stayed home with [their] kids. I had a passion for cooking and wanted to do something in the food environment. We were the first company to get quiche on the menus of NYC pubs and restaurants. Now it’s a staple on menus worldwide. The company expanded early on into desserts — now 90 percent of our products — produced by 250 employees and shipped globally.

How do know if you’ve struck a niche opportunity?

I didn’t so much identify a niche as create one — by knocking on a thousand doors all over New York’s metro area. You cannot know if you’ve struck [a niche] until you’ve persuaded a customer base to pay for your product or service. Many opportunities exist today, particularly with online marketing and social media, to test the waters before expending precious resources.

Your business education came from on-the-job, self-schooling. Do you recommend this path, or formal training?

I was a one-man band when I started, with no formal preparation for business ownership. My education came from suppliers, customers, competition and skilled employees. Had we not brought on board a talented CPA for finance or a formally trained chef to head research and development, we couldn’t have kept the business growing. To reach the next level, hiring skilled professionals into key positions is
necessary.

You write that mistakes can be humbling learning tools. Can you recall a beneficial business mistake?

Once, we implemented a packaging change we thought was inconsequential, without consulting our customers, but they thought differently and were correct. Your customers are your partners. Without them, you’ve got nothing. If you anticipate a change, discuss it with them and include them in a major decision.

How did you stay the course during a dire business challenge?

September 11 almost put us down. We had hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory and canceled orders. We had about 150 employees then. As a manager and owner of a family business, you’re responsible. You don’t just let it go. You ask for extended credit with suppliers. We talked with friendly competitors and our customers. Little by little, you figure out what you’re going to do, and regroup.

You write that you “cannot have it all — being the perfect wife, mother, business executive,” yet still encourage others to take the leap. How do you handle this priority juggle?

Maybe your house is messier than you’d like, or you order in dinner more often. I don’t cook — period — anymore, except in the summer. If you have children, you cannot be obsessed with going every place with them and watching every game. You have to let some things go. In my organization, I’ve had to step back and let people do their jobs, make mistakes and learn from them.